Today we will take a closer look at adding stitching to your felt. Stitching can be done by hand , machine or both. It enables you to add fine details to your work and to add extra movement and texture. You will need threads to go with your design. If you are using a sewing machine you will need to be able to free machine. I use a quilting foot but you can lower the feed dogs on some machines. When sewing by hand I find a chenille needle the most useful as it has a large eye for threading thick threads and yarn but a sharp point. You will also need some sharp scissors.
The first part of the picture I usually stitch is the horizon and outlines of hills. Use cotton to match the colours you are stitching on. You generally don't want the stitching to jump out at you. I then stitch contours of the land which helps the viewers eye to make sense of distance and direction. Here is my felt with just those parts stitched.
Next I outline areas that I want to stand out such as the house and the large flowers in the foreground. I also added lowlights and highlights to the tree trunk and stitched in between the rows of flowers. The stones in the wall were outlined to help with a feeling of texture and windows were added to the farmhouse. I've lined up the reels of cotton used in the machine stitching so you can get an idea of how many I use in my felts.
I could have stopped here but decided the work would be further enhanced by adding a little hand stitching. I've added french knots to the centres of some of the flowers and small stab stitches to some further back in the picture. I have also added a few tufts of grass against the wall. Even the most avid gardener has a few uninvited plants. Here is the completed felt mounted on a canvas.
People tend to think as the stitching as a sort of after thought but I hope this has shown what an important part of the process this is. In fact it can sometimes take as long to add the stitching as it does to lay down the fibres.
The first part of the picture I usually stitch is the horizon and outlines of hills. Use cotton to match the colours you are stitching on. You generally don't want the stitching to jump out at you. I then stitch contours of the land which helps the viewers eye to make sense of distance and direction. Here is my felt with just those parts stitched.
Next I outline areas that I want to stand out such as the house and the large flowers in the foreground. I also added lowlights and highlights to the tree trunk and stitched in between the rows of flowers. The stones in the wall were outlined to help with a feeling of texture and windows were added to the farmhouse. I've lined up the reels of cotton used in the machine stitching so you can get an idea of how many I use in my felts.
I could have stopped here but decided the work would be further enhanced by adding a little hand stitching. I've added french knots to the centres of some of the flowers and small stab stitches to some further back in the picture. I have also added a few tufts of grass against the wall. Even the most avid gardener has a few uninvited plants. Here is the completed felt mounted on a canvas.
People tend to think as the stitching as a sort of after thought but I hope this has shown what an important part of the process this is. In fact it can sometimes take as long to add the stitching as it does to lay down the fibres.
This picture was completed and listed in my etsy shop yesterday but has been sold already. However if you would like to see more photos of it. Some are closer up views. You can visit my shop by clicking on the etsy mini at the top of the page and look at my sold orders. You will still be able to access the photographs.
I am not surprised this one sold already, Sue -- it is perfectly lovely! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to discover the tooth fairy has been in the night!
ReplyDeleteIt's been interesting following the posts of your technique. The finished piece is beautiful. Congrats on the sale, too. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteMeant to add, your "Felt" fits in with the Inspired 4 linkup. If you would like to link, be glad to have you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gloria. Glad you enjoyed them. I'll take a look at the link.
ReplyDeleteGreat posting!!! This provides so much information.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm posting more than a year after you've written your post, but I wondered how you mount the piece afterwards (on canvas). I'm quite inspired by your posts on this piece, though never tried anything like this before!
ReplyDeleteHello Helen, I love to hear from people however old the post. Mounting is simple. Make sure the felt is large enough to go around the sides of the canvas plus another inch and a half roughly then simply attach to the wooden frame of the canvas with a staple gun. Just take care with the corners. Good luck and have fun!
DeleteHi Helen how exactly do you roll it in step 2, do you mean roll and unroll the whole blind over and over? I love this piece of art btw, just cant grasp that step, thanx Theresa
ReplyDeleteHi Theresa, to roll the felt you should place it on the blind and then roll the blind up like a Swiss roll with the felt in the centre. You then roll it backwards and forwards whilst still rolled up. Hope this helps. Sue
DeleteYes that helps thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteIm just imagining it coming unfurled as I roll it- guess I need to try it before I get too bamboozled overthinking it!!
ReplyDeleteThe felt will be wet and not springy and bamboo blinds stay rolled anyway. You'll be fine. Have fun and let me know how you get on.
DeleteHi thanx Sue I really enjoyed it...some stages felt wierd at least to onlookers or in this case my children...anyway I have produced a nice little piece...used a bamboo mat ....few fuzzies sticking out the front does that mean its not fully felted ...it shrunk
ReplyDeleteheaps? With needle felted items there are always some fuzzies so I just trim, I'll just do that, thanx so much; besides some awfully made felted soap this is my only other attempt at wet felting...it was great:)
im so pleased you enjoyed yourself. I bet your children would like to have a go too. My grandchildren have made felt with me several times. They are all boys from age 6 up and they enjoyed the throwing bit the most. The fuzzy bits do indicate under felting but some breeds of sheep have better fleeces for felting than others. If you used merino you should not have any fuzzy bits. It either means you under felted or laid down some fleece too thickly. Some other breeds take much longer to felt so you have to work much harder.
DeleteA great tutorial many thanks for taking the time to explain it all
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I'm glad you found it helpful.
DeleteYes ny boy aged 8 loves the throwing bit too!! I think I have to work hadder at it too actually.
ReplyDeleteHI, IF I DON'T HAVE THE SEWING MACHINE, CAN I HAND MADE???
ReplyDeleteHi Patricia, if you don't have a sewing machine you can certainly do all of the stitching by hand. You will get a slightly softer line though. I would use a thin thread with small stitches I think. Be interesting to see how you get on.
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